Travel bags



May 19, 1959 F'i'led Jan. 20, 1958 M. DAVIS TRAVEL BAGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR M/(HAEL DAV/.5

. ATTORNEY y 9, 1959 M. DAVIS 2,887,196 TRAVEL BAGS FiledJan. 20, 1958 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR [filo-M21. DAV/J J MW ATTORNEY TRAVEL BAGSMichael Davis, Douglaston, N.Y. Application January 20, 1958, Serial No.709,854

7 Claims. Cl. 190-43) This invention relates to travel bags andparticularly to luggage arranged to contain garments in a naturallyhanging position when it is suspended at one end by a hook in anautomobile or clothes closet. When this type of luggage is to be carriedmanually, however, it may be folded into a compact U-shapedconfigurationand grasped by one or more handles provided for thatpurpose.

Previous travel bags of this type are generally made of flexible textileor plastic sheet materials which usually require some form ofreinforcement both at their corners and intermediate their ends, variousstiffening wire frames and metal slots having been improvised in orderto maintain the substantially rectangular conformation of the bag.

These expedients have been considerably less than satisfactory, sincethey do not permit the bag to give adequate protection to the clotheswhen the bag is handled roughly in transportation either by automobileor by train. Also these reinforcing means have not been adequate topermit the bag, when folded into the carrying position, to stand firmly,since at best, their frames have been quite unstable and permitted thebag to lean unnaturally or fall sidewise to the floor, thus subjectingthe garments within the undesired crushing and other disturbances.

In order to obviate the foregoing difficulties and in order to provide afoldable type luggage which is rugged and stable for travel purposes, Inow provide a bag made of a pair of unitary shells of a suitableintegrally molded stiffened material, said shells being hinged, to aunitary carrying cap of substantially the same material as said shells,said cap serving to enclose the one end of said shells, to form aprotective carrying cover when the bag is in the folded position.

Still other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent fromthe specification.

The features of novelty which I believe to be characteristic of myinvention are set forth herein and will best be understood, both as totheir fundamental principles and as to their particular embodiments, byreference to the specification and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the travel bag, shown in the suspendedposition;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the bag shown in thefolded carrying position; 1

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of the bag shown in Fig.2; a

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detail end view of the central portionof Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective interior view of the bagin accordance with the portionthereof shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Figs. 5 and 7; and

Fig. 7 is a view taken on line 7--7 of Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the travel bag nited StatesPatent 2,887,196 C6 Patented May 19, 1959 of the present inventioncomprises a pair of shells, generally designated 21 and 22,respectively, both pivotally attached to a cap, generally designated 23.Cap 23 consists of a top wall 31, two end walls 32 and two side walls33, said end walls and side walls forming a unitary rim. (Figs. 1, 2,3.) Shell 21 is formed of a bottom wall 24, two end walls 25, and a sidewall 26, while shell 22 is formed of a bottom wall 27, two end walls 28and a side wall 29.

Shells 21 and 22 and cap 23 are made of sheets of fibrous materials thathave been impregnated with thermosetting resins, and subsequently moldedinto the requisite shapes. The fibers consist of mixtures of short glassfilaments, Caroa fiber, and other suitable additives that are well knownin the art, to provide the characteristics desired. Various types ofthermoplastics may also be incorporated in the sheet material, as forexample, cellulose acetate, acetate butyrate, ethylcellulose, methylmethacrylate, rubber modified styrenes, polyvinyl chloride,polyethylene, rigid vinyl chloride acetates, and polystyrene. The moldedshells and cap have self-sustaining strength characteristics so thatthey do not require any further reinforcing elements or struts to enablethe bag to stand firmly in position, maintain its shape and abuses oftravel.

Shells 21 and 22 are pivotally connected to cap 23 by being stitched orotherwise attached to the respective ends of a hinge strip 35 extendingover the top of cap 23 and a short distance below the lower edges ofside walls 33. In some embodiments strip 35 does not extend over the topof cap 23 in which case separate elongated hinge strips 35, are providedon each side of the bag for pivotally connecting shells 21and 22 to saidcap. Strip 35 may be made of a suitable flexible fabric such as naturalor artificial leather, rubberized cloth, canvas, plastics of the vinylor polyethylene type, or the like.

Strip 35 is secured to walls 33 of cap 23 by a row 36 of stitching andis secured to walls 26 and 29 of shells 21 and 22 respectively by row 37of stitching. Additionally, strip 35 may be bonded to the respectivesurfaces of the cap andshells by means of a suitable adhesive material.In order to provide a smoothly finished surface the upper areas of walls26 and 29 of shells 21 and 22, respectively, may be indented as at 38and 39 (Fig. 7) in order to accommodate the ends of strip 35, whilecap23 may be similarly indented at 41 and 42 for the same purpose. a

In other embodiments of the present invention, shells 21 and 22 may bepivotally connected to cap 23 by means of metal hinges of various typesthat are riveted or otherwise attached to these component parts. Suchmetal hinges would perform the same functions as strip 35 between theshells and the cap.

The upper edges of walls 25, 26 and 28, 29 ofshells 21 and 22respectively, are otfset inwardly as at 43, 44 (Fig. 1), and at 45, 46(Fig. 4), said offset portions extending at least partially into theinterior of cap 23 when the bag is folded, to form an overall smoothsurface, for the bag, as illustrated in Figs. 2. and 3, and to enhancethe protective function of said'cap as provided. by the integral band orrim formed by cap walls 32 and 33.

Positioned between shells 21 and 22 is a sheet 51, which serves as alining underneath cap 23 when the bag is closed (Fig. 5). The gussetends 52 and 53 of sheet 51 extend substantially perpendicularly from themain portain of'said sheet and are secured by rivets 54,orthe like, tooffset portions 43 and 44 on shells 21 and 22, respectively. Alsosecured by said rivets to said offset portions are the perpendicularlyextending parallel legs 55 and 56 of braces 57 and 58, respectively, themain portions of which extend across the interiors of the offsetportions 45 and 46 of shells 21 and 22, respectively. One edge of sheet51 extends between, and a short distance beyond, brace 57 and offsetportion 45, while the other edge of said' sheet extends between, and ashort distance beyond, brace 58 and offset portion 46. Said edges ofsaid sheet 51 may be secured to the interiors of shells 21 and 22,respectively, by means of a suitable adhesive or binding tape. Sheet 51and its gussets 52 and 53 are yieldably connected between shells 21 and22 so that the slack in the fabric may accommodate to the opening andclosing of the bag.

Connected by suitable means such as stitching or the like to the inneredges of shells 21 and 22 is a fabric inner wall 61 which forms anenclosure for the bag in its extended position, as shown in Fig. 1. Theouter ends of gussets 52 and 53 are stitched or otherwise connected totherespective adjacent edge portions of inner wall 61 (Figs. 1 and 5) toform the unitary enclosure for the travel bag. When shells 21 and 22 arebrought together as in Fig. 2, gussets 52 and 53 withdraw by wrinklingand folding to a position underneath cap 23. Inner wall 61 has aseparable panel 62 which forms a closure for the bag, said panel beingopened and closed by means of slide fastener 63 movable along fastenertrack 64. Additionally, inner wall 61 may have an opening 65 which isclosed by a slide fastener 66, said opening communicating with a pocketcompartment, not shown, on the interior of the bag.

Bottom wall 27 of shell 22 may be provided with a hook member 68 forsupporting the bag in its extended position from a hook, bar or thelike, whereby the garments within the bag are suspended withoutwrinkling or folding. Suitable means, not shown, may be provided forpivoting hook 68 into a position adjacent bottom wall '27 when the bagis folded for carrying.

Cap 23 is provided with a handle 69 for carrying the bag when in thefolded or double over position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When shells 21and 22 are brought adjacent each other, as shown in Fig. 2, they aresecured together by means of snap locks 71 attached by rivets or thelike to shell 22, the heads 72 of said locks engaging loops 73 of plate74 attached to shell 21. Other types of locks or fastening means may beutilized to connect shells 21 and 22 to each other.

In the specification, I have explained the principles of my invention,and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying thoseprinciples, so as to distinguish my invention from other inventions; andI have particularly pointed out and distinctlyclairned the part, mode orcombination which I claim as my invention or discovery.

While I have shown and described certain preferred embodiments of myinvention, it will be understood that modifications and changes may bemadewithout departing from the function and scope thereof, as will beclear to those skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. A travel bag comprising acap member having a pair of spaced apartside walls and a pair of spaced apart end walls, first and secondself-supporting molded shell members, each of said shell memberscomprising a bottom wall, an outer wall and two end walls, the outerwall of each of said shell members being pivotally connected to acorresponding side wall of said cap member, a fabric inner wallconnected to the edges of said bottom and end walls of both of saidshellmernbers to form an enclosure for said bag, means on said firstshell member for. suspending said bag in an extended position, said capmember being supported by said first shell member, and

saidsecond shell member being supported by said cap member, said shellmembers :being adapted to be moved pivotally and secured to each otherwhereby the bag may be carried by means of said cap member.

2. A bag according to claim 1, and further comprising a pair of gussetsconnected between opposing edges of the end walls of said shell members,and connected to adjacent edge portions of said inner wall.

3. A travel bag according to claim 1 wherein the edge portions of theouter wall and of the two end walls of each of said shells are offsetinwardly whereby said cap overlaps both of said shells when the latterare secured to each other in the folded carrying position.

4. A bag according to claim 1, and further comprising a fabric sheetconnected between the respective opposing upper ends of the outer wallsand end walls of said first and second shells, the portion of said sheetpositioned between the opposing end walls of said shells acting as slackgussets between said shells, and an elongated metallic brace attached tothe interior edge portions of the outer wall and of two end walls ofeach of said shells, said fabric gusset sheet being positioned betweensaid braces'and-said upper portions of said outer walls and end walls.

5. A travel bag comprising an elongated cap member, a pair of end wallsand a pair of side walls on said cap member, a pair of self-supportingmolded shells, each of said shells being pivotallyconnected to oppositeside walls of said cap member, said shells when secured to each otherforming an enclosure with said cap member, all the edges of said shellsadjacent the cap member extending at least partially into the interiorof said cap membar when said shells are closed, the side walls and endwalls of said cap member forming an integral protective band around thepivoting ends of said shells, and a handle on said cap member fortransporting said bag.

6. A travel bag comprising an elongated cap member, a pair of end wallsand a pair of side walls on said cap member, apair of self-supportingmolded shells, each of said shells being pivotally connected torespective side walls of said cap member, said shells when secured toeach other forming an enclosure with said cap member, all the edges ofsaid shells adjacent the cap member being inwardly offset and extendingat least partially into the interior of said cap member when said shellsare closed 'whereby the walls of said cap member form a substantiallyoverall smooth surface with the respective walls of said shells that areoutside said cap member.

7. A travel bag comprising an elongated cap member, a pairofend wallsand a pair of side walls on said cap member, said end walls andsidewalls forming a unitary rim, a pair of self-supporting moldedshells, each of said shells being pivotally connected to opposite sidewalls of said cap member, said shells when secured to each other formingan enclosure with said cap member, all of the edge areas of both of saidshells adjacent said cap member extending at least partially into theinterior of said-cap member when said shells are closed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,150,058 'ONeill Aug. 17, 1915 1,823,403 Krueger Sept. 15, 19312,341,104 Kleber Feb. 8, 1944 2,405,955 Hunt Aug. 20, 1946 2,675,457Privett Apr. 13, 1954 2,702,105 Ritter Feb. 15, 1955 2,777,245 Aaronetal. Jan. 15, 1957 2,786,558 Benkoe Mar. 26, 1957

